diff --git a/autoload/pymatcher.vim b/autoload/pymatcher.vim
index 72a99ef..c08d944 100644
--- a/autoload/pymatcher.vim
+++ b/autoload/pymatcher.vim
@@ -12,10 +12,70 @@ else
   execute 'pyfile ' . s:plugin_path . '/pymatcher.py'
 endif
 
-function! pymatcher#PyMatch(items, str, limit, mmode, ispath, crfile, regex)
+function! pymatcher#highlight(grp,pat,ispath,regexp,byfname,martcs) abort
+	if !empty(a:pat) && a:ispath
+		if a:regexp
+			let pat = substitute(a:pat, '\\\@<!\^', '^> \\zs', 'g')
+			cal matchadd(a:grp, ( a:martcs == '' ? '\c' : '\C' ).pat)
+		el
+			let pat = a:pat
+
+			" get original characters so we can rebuild pat
+            let chars = split(pat, '\[\^\\\?.\]\\{-}')
+
+			" Build a pattern like /a.*b.*c/ from abc (but with .\{-} non-greedy
+			" matchers instead)
+			let pat = join(chars, '.\{-}')
+			" Ensure we match the last version of our pattern
+			let ending = '\(.*'.pat.'\)\@!'
+			" Case sensitive?
+			let beginning = ( a:martcs == '' ? '\c' : '\C' ).'^.*'
+			if a:byfname
+				" Make sure there are no slashes in our match
+				let beginning = beginning.'\([^\/]*$\)\@='
+			en
+
+			for i in range(len(chars))
+				" Surround our current target letter with \zs and \ze so it only
+				" actually matches that one letter, but has all preceding and trailing
+				" letters as well.
+				" \zsa.*b.*c
+				" a\(\zsb\|.*\zsb)\ze.*c
+				let charcopy = copy(chars)
+				if i == 0
+					let charcopy[i] = '\zs'.charcopy[i].'\ze'
+					let middle = join(charcopy, '.\{-}')
+				el
+					let before = join(charcopy[0:i-1], '.\{-}')
+					let after = join(charcopy[i+1:-1], '.\{-}')
+					let c = charcopy[i]
+					" for abc, match either ab.\{-}c or a.*b.\{-}c in that order
+					let cpat = '\(\zs'.c.'\|'.'.*\zs'.c.'\)\ze.*'
+					let middle = before.cpat.after
+				en
+
+				" Now we matchadd for each letter, the basic form being:
+				" ^.*\zsx\ze.*$, but with our pattern we built above for the letter,
+				" and a negative lookahead ensuring that we only highlight the last
+				" occurrence of our letters. We also ensure that our matcher is case
+				" insensitive or sensitive depending.
+				cal matchadd(a:grp, beginning.middle.ending)
+			endfo
+		en
+
+	elseif !empty(a:pat) && a:regexp &&
+				\ exists('g:ctrlp_regex_always_higlight') &&
+				\ g:ctrlp_regex_always_higlight
+		let pat = substitute(a:pat, '\\\@<!\^', '^> \\zs', 'g')
+		cal matchadd(a:grp, ( a:martcs == '' ? '\c' : '\C').pat)
+    endif
+endfunction
+
+function! pymatcher#PyMatch(items, str, limit, mmode, ispath, crfile, regex) abort
 
     call clearmatches()
 
+
     if a:str == ''
         let arr = a:items[0:a:limit]
         if pymatcher#ShouldHideCurrentFile(a:ispath, a:crfile)
@@ -29,15 +89,12 @@ function! pymatcher#PyMatch(items, str, limit, mmode, ispath, crfile, regex)
 
     execute 'python' . (has('python3') ? '3' : '') . ' CtrlPPyMatch()'
 
-    let s:matchregex = '\v\c'
-
+    let byfname = 0
     if a:mmode == 'filename-only'
-        let s:matchregex .= '[\^\/]*'
+        let byfname = 1
     endif
 
-    let s:matchregex .= s:regex
-
-    call matchadd('CtrlPMatch', s:matchregex)
+    call pymatcher#highlight('CtrlPMatch',s:regex,a:ispath,a:regex,byfname,'')
 
     return s:rez
 endfunction